Tim Gunn makes it work at Disney's D23 event

Tim Gunn, the voice of Baileywick on Disney's Sofia the First television show, reads to children from "Sofia the First: The Floating Palace," by Catherine Hapka and illustrated by Grace Lee. He was at the D23 Expo at the Anaheim Convention Center Sunday.MINDY SCHAUER, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Highlights of the D23 Expo

Over three days, Disney brought attention to all aspects of its business at the D23 Expo, the official fan club convention. Here were some of the surprises:

•Disney's animation studios announced a 2016 movie, "Zootopia"; revealed the cast and story details for upcoming Pixar movies, including "Inside Out"; and debuted a "Monsters University" short.

•Angelina Jolie, Natalie Portman and Anthony Hopkins were among the celebrities who made surprise appearances at the Walt Disney Studios presentation. Songwriter Richard Sherman joined actors B.J. Novak and Jason Schwartzman on stage for a "Mary Poppins" song.

•Disney Imagineer Tony Baxter, who re-ceived a Disney Legends award, will get a window in Disneyland, Disney announced.

ANAHEIM – Tim Gunn, best known for his mentor's role on "Project Runway," may have wowed much of the audience by showing up to read a story to children at a Disney convention.

But he didn't impress 4-year-old Alanis Portocarrero, who was waiting to meet Sofia – the title character of the animated "Sofia the First" TV series. And she told him so.

"You want to see Sofia? I may be the best thing as Baileywick," Gunn said to the girl, sitting on a beanbag chair below him.

Gunn performs the voice of Baileywick, the castle steward, on the Disney Junior channel show that ranks among the most popular in the age 2-5 set. On Sunday, Gunn read a "Sofia the First" book to children at the final day of the D23 Expo, the official Disney fan club convention, at the Anaheim Convention Center.

The Baileywick character, somewhat modeled after Gunn, is a mentor to the tiny princess, much like Gunn is to the designers on the fashion-competition show on Lifetime.

"I've never done anything like this, ever," Gunn said after storytime. "I'm thrilled to be asked."

Most of the audience was filled with parents and their children, many of them preschool-age girls in Sofia's signature purple gown. But some adults dressed up, too. Helen Ceron, 24, of La Puente is starting her own costume business and made an elaborate Sofia dress for herself.

"I was really stressing about the quality when I was making it because Tim Gunn is going to see it," Ceron said.

Elsewhere, on the last day of the convention, Disney paid tribute to 60 years of Imagineering – the term that Disney uses for attraction creators and builders – with a series of panels. In the first session, four retired Imagineers told stories about working with Walt Disney himself.

Alice Davis said she first met Disney when she was out to dinner with her late husband, animator Marc Davis. Disney said hello and asked about Davis' profession – seamstress. Disney was intrigued when she told him about working with elastic on girdles and brassieres. As he was leaving, Disney said he would work with her some day. Two and a half years later, Davis got a call to make the costumes for It's a Small World.

She was thrilled to make dolls' clothes, especially because she didn't have a doll as a girl during the Great Depression. Her childhood friends wouldn't let her touch their dolls. When Davis was done with the Small World dolls, she lined them up. "I thought, 'I've got more dolls than them,'" Davis said.

In the arena – the biggest of the convention areas with 4,000 seats – Disney turned its attention to the future, showcasing its new Disney Infinity video game and projecting ABC's new "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." The Marvel show, made possible by the 2009 acquisition of Marvel Comics by Disney, debuts Sept. 24.

Mandy Bulat, 27, started a line at 10:30 a.m. to see the show beginning at 3 p.m.

"You want to see it before other people see it," said Bulat of Los Angeles. "Basically, it's a common practice in the nerd community."

Related Links

Tim Gunn, the voice of Baileywick on Disney's Sofia the First television show, reads to children from "Sofia the First: The Floating Palace," by Catherine Hapka and illustrated by Grace Lee. He was at the D23 Expo at the Anaheim Convention Center Sunday. MINDY SCHAUER, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Lisa Rogolsky, 27, meets Sofia from one of her favorite TV shows. The character from the anamated program, Sofia the First, made an appearance during the D23 Expo in Anaheim. "Sofia is an excellent role model. The anamation is beautiful. I like that they keep the story on a level for everyone - not just kids," she said of the show. MINDY SCHAUER, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Eduardo Garduno, 16, came all they way from Mexico City to attend the D23 Expo in Anaheim. He especially wanted to hear his favorite group and TV show "X Factor" finalists, Fifth Harmony. MINDY SCHAUER, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
"X Factor" television show finalists, Fifth Harmony, perform during the final day of the D23 Expo, the official Disney fan club event, at the Anaheim Convention Center Center on Sunday. MINDY SCHAUER, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Disney's Fantasia: Music Evolved video game demonstration shows the eye-popping colors on screen during the final day of the D23 Expo in Anaheim. MINDY SCHAUER, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Yising Kao, 16, of Irvine, Kieunhi Huynh, 15, and Jenny Huynh, 15, both from Garden Grove, from left, get emotional while watching the singing group Fifth Harmony during the final day of the D23 Expo. The girls said they like that the group is humble and cares about their fans. MINDY SCHAUER, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
D23 patrons line up outside the Anaheim Convention Center during the final day for the official Disney fan event. The first one took place in 2009 and the second one in 2011. MINDY SCHAUER, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Disney's Fantasia: Music Evolved video game demonstration shows the eye-popping colors on screen during the final day of the D23 Expo in Anaheim. MINDY SCHAUER, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Carly Valenti, 6, visiting with her family from New Jersey, checks out Disney art during the D23 Expo at the Anaheim Convention Center Sunday. MINDY SCHAUER, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Pirate siblings James Ratzlaff, 2, left, and Emory, 4, of Coto de Caza watch the Disney television show character Sofia onstage from Sofia the First. They were at the final day of the official Disney Fan Expo D23 at the Anaheim Convention Center Sunday. MINDY SCHAUER, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Sydney Lewengrub, 2, of Laguna Niguel keeps her eyes focused on Sofia from the Sofia the First show during the character's appearance on stage at the D23 Expo. She was with her dad Jon and older sister Hallie, 5. MINDY SCHAUER, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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